Toy balloon.



T. W. MILLER.

TOY 'BALLOON.

APPLICATION nuzo FEB. 19. 1916.

7% 1 9 11 7 2 Mm M d .m

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

T. W. MILLER.

TOY BALLOON.

APPLICATION man FEB, 19. 1916.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- T AT Flt).

THOMAS W. MILLER, OF ASI-ILAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, TO THE FAULTLESS RUBBER COMPANY, OF ASHLAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

TOY BALLOON.

Application filed February 19, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, THOMAS \V. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ashland, in the county of Ashland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Balloons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to toy balloons, and has for its object to provide means for limiting the expansion of the balloon at a given point as the same is being inflated, whereby the balloon will assume any one of a number of shapes, such as that of a pumpkin, or of an apple. or of other similar articles.

This object I accomplish in the manner and by the means hereinafter more specifically described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a toy balloon equipped with my improvement and shown inflated, the inflating stem and valve and the point of connection for the restricting means being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the inflating valve having the restricting member attached thereto.

Fig. 3 is a detail fragmentary perspective view of that portion of the balloon which is to be restricted, the same being shown with the restricting element applied thereto.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a balloon showing a modified construction.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing still another modification.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views.

In the said drawing, the reference numeral 1 denotes an ordinary toy balloon formed of elastically expansible material, such as rubber, and having the usual flanged neck 2, in which is seated a mouth piece 01' plug 3, said neck having disposed thereon a collar 4 of any suitable material, such as metal, semivulcanized rubber, or the like, said parts constituting the closure forming the subjectmatter of Letters Patent No. 1,098,286, granted May 26, 1914, to The Faultless Rubber Company, of Ashland, Ohio, as my assignee, and needing here no further description.

Tied to said mouth piece 3 is a string or cord 5, which may be extensible, or may be inextensible as may be desired. The said cord extends from the mouth piece 3 through Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 27, 191?.

Serial No. 79,4L10.

the neck 2 of the balloon into the interior thereof to any desired point. As shown, it is wrapped several times around a portion of the body of the balloon'at 6, said portion having inclosed therein a filler piece in the form of a ball 7 of wood or other suitable material, the wrapping 6 completely inclos- 111g said ball in the material of the body of the balloon.

In operation, when the balloon is inflated,

the portion surrounding the ball 7 will inflate equally with the rest until the cord 5 becomes taut. If said cord is inextensible, the expansion of the balloon at that point will stop completely, but if it is slightly elastic said expansion will be retarded only, said retardation, however, being suiticicnt to indent the balloon at that point. The result of this inflation and restriction as to a certain point in the balloon is to give to the inflated article the appearance of a pumpkin, apple, or other similar article, wherein there is an indented portion, as readily will be understood.

lVhile I have shown and described a ball 7 as employed in connection with the string 5, it will be understood that the former may be dispensed with, and the end of the cord or string 5 attached to the interior of the balloon by simply tying it to a constricted portion of the balloon body, or by attaching it in any other suitable manner, the means of attachment being immaterial, so long as there is a point of attachment.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modified construction, wherein the balloon is restricted at a plurality of points, instead of at a single point, as in Fig. 1. said points being designated by the reference numeral 8. It will be observed that the cords which perform the restricting operation instead of all extending from the mouth piece 3, as does the cord 5, may extend between two of the balls 7 said cords being indicated at 9. In fact, this feature is susceptible of wide variation, it being my intention to restrict the balloon at any desired number of points. and in any desired manner, in no way limiting myself to running the cord from the mouth piece.

In Fig. 5 T have shown still another modification, the balloon here being shown as restricted at two points, the ball 10 at one 4 point being formed ofwood or other light material, while the ball 11 mav be formed of some heavier material, such as lead. The

result of this construction is that when inflated and permitted to fall, the balloon will assume a position with the weighted portion 11 downward, this construction permitting the position that the balloon occupies to be controlled.

While I have illustrated and described the specific construction of valve, disclosed in my Letters Patent 1,098,286., I do not wish to be understood as restricting myself to the use of such construction in connection with my present improvement, as said improve ment is capable of use in connection with any desired form of valve, the latter forming no part whatsoever of the invention.

In using in the description and claims the term elastically expansible in connection with the body of the balloon, I wish to be understood to mean that property of the balloon body which permits it not only to distend under inflation, as do the well known non-stretchable balloon bodies, but also to increase in size by stretching in proportion to the volume of gas forced thereinto, whereby a restriction of the balloon body at one or more points will result in a distortion proportioned to said expansion.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i l. In an elastically expansible balloon, means for inflating and expanding the same, and means for restricting the expansion of the balloon at a given point under said infiation.

2. In an elastically expansible balloon, means for inflating and expanding the same,

and means disposed within the balloon for restricting the expansion thereof at one or more points.

3. In an elastically expansible balloon, means for inflating and expanding the same, and a cord attached to the interior of the balloon for restricting the expansion of the latter.

4;. In a toy balloon, means for inflating the same, and means extending from the inflating point into the balloon and attached to the interior of the latter for restricting the expansion of the balloon at that point When under inflation.

5. In a toy balloon, means for inflating the same, and a cord extending from the inflating point into the balloon and attached to the interior of the latter for restricting the expansion of the balloon at that point when under inflation.

6. In a toy balloon, a valvethrough which the same may be inflated, and a cord extending from said valve into the balloon and attached to the latter at a given point on its interior for restricting the expansion of the balloon at said point when under inflation.

7. In a toy balloon, an inflating neck, a

mouth piece inserted therein, and a cord extending from said mouth piece through said neck into the interior of the balloon and attached to the latter at a given point for restricting the expansion of the balloon at said point when under inflation.

8. In a. toy balloon, means for inflating the same, a cord disposed within the balloon, and a filler piece on the outside of the balloon and enveloped by a portion of the ba1- loon body and retained in position in respect thereto by a wrapping of said cord around the neck formed by said balloon body in enveloping said filler piece.

9. In a toy balloon, means for inflating the same, a cord extending from the inflating point into the balloon, and a filler piece on the outside of the balloon and enveloped by a portion of the balloon body and retained in position in respect thereto by a Wrapping of said cord around the neck formed by said balloon body in enveloping said filler piece.

10. In a toy balloon, means for inflating the same, a cord disposed within the balloon, and filler pieces on the outside of the balloon and each enveloped by a portion of the balloon body and retained in position in respect thereto by a wrapping of said cord around the neck formed by said balloon body in enveloping said filler piece, one of said filler pieces being heavier than the other.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand this 16th day of February, 1916.

THOMAS W. MILLER. 

